What makes this exoskeleton so unique is that it has to adapt to the user's disease.

Spinal musical atrophy is a degenerative disease which changes over time, and so as the person's body changes so too must the suit.

Joan Costa - CSIC

With this in mind the researchers created an exoskeleton which could adapt and change as the child's needs required.

"Our model includes intelligent joints which alter the brace's rigidity automatically and adapt to the symptoms of each individual child at whenever required," explains Elena Garcia, from the Automatics and Robotics Centre, a CSIC/Politechnic University of Madrid.

Joan Costa - CSIC

The exoskeleton is aimed at children who are suffering from Type 2 of the disease. Type 2 is usually diagnosed between 7-18 months of life and children who show these symptoms are never able to walk thus leading to a serious decline in their health.

As a result their life expectancy is seriously affected by the lack of mobility meaning that any respiratory infection can become critical to any child over two.

By using this exoskeleton, Garcia and her team hope to avoid the onset of these symptoms which normally would have been unavoidable due to the child being unable to stand upright or walk.